Renowned sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik has created an eight-foot sand sculpture at Puri Beach to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Odisha on Sunday.
The artwork combines Odisha’s cultural heritage with India’s growing digital infrastructure, highlighting the inauguration of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar.
The sculpture features the iconic Konark Wheel alongside a sand recreation representing the RBI’s Data Centre, symbolising the connection between Odisha’s rich cultural legacy and India’s progress in digital technology and cybersecurity.
Speaking to IANS, Pattnaik said the establishment of the RBI’s Data Centre in Odisha was a matter of pride for the state. He said he had used sand art to depict the Konark Wheel and recreate the appearance of the Data Centre to mark the Prime Minister’s visit.
RBI Data Centre to Strengthen Digital Infrastructure
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the RBI’s newly established Data Centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar during his visit to Odisha.
The facilities aim to strengthen the technological infrastructure of India’s financial system and support the growing requirements of digital banking and financial services.
According to the official release, the Data Centre has been designed to provide secure, resilient, scalable and future-ready computing infrastructure for the RBI and the wider financial sector.
Four state-of-the-art data centres will host critical payment and settlement systems, along with other key initiatives. The facility has received the Uptime Institute’s Tier IV certification, a global benchmark for data centre infrastructure resilience.
The facility is expected to improve the reach, efficiency and reliability of digital financial services while providing a secure foundation for India’s increasingly technology-driven financial ecosystem.
Cybersecurity Training and Emerging Technologies
The Cybersecurity Training Institute will provide a dedicated platform for training, research and capacity building in cybersecurity and enterprise technology across the financial sector.
Its focus areas will include emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, alongside other advanced technologies relevant to the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) sector.
-IANS
